Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 241 Cabinet Power
Guangzhou Palace, early in the morning, the duty room next to the main hall is already filled with officials in blue and red robes, all of whom are ministers waiting for the morning court.

The officials in the hall gathered in different places. Although the number of people in each place varied, they were all in good order.

At the top left were three cabinet ministers, Lü Daqi, Chen Zizhuang, and He Wuzuo. Behind them stood Su Guansheng, Gu Yuanjing, and several other former officials from the Guangzhou Sansi. They gathered around Su Guansheng.
The first person on the right is Jiao Lian, Ma Bao, and Zheng Hongkui. Liu Qijiao, Hao Shangjiu, Shi Lang, Longxiang Army's missionary Kuang Hong, and Tengxiang Army's missionary Zhu Xuexi are standing not far behind the three.
At this time, the court, whether civil or military, was discussing in low voices the news that suddenly came out of the palace yesterday.
On the upper left, Lu Daqi looked at Chen Zizhuang and He Wuzuo beside him and said

"Your Highness has a strong character. He Tengjiao used the excuse that the Qing invaders in Huguang were making unusual movements and refused to return to the court. I'm afraid this has angered Your Highness. Now Your Highness wants to personally lead an expedition to the southwest. What do you think?"

Seeing Chen Zizhuang remained silent, He Wuzuo thought for a moment and then spoke:

"This is inappropriate. Huguang is close to the front line, and it is normal for the Qing army to move. If the situation on the front line has really changed, He Tengjiao, as the governor, should not act rashly."

"Your Highness, based on the words of the Jinyifu family, you concluded that He Tengjiao was deliberately shirking his responsibility and wanted to punish the officials of the frontier. This is biased."

"Even if He Tengjiao really has an arrogant attitude of waiting and watching, we should not suddenly send troops to attack him."

"Huguang is different from Fujian Province after all. Fujian Province had already fallen into the hands of the enemy at that time, so we should send troops to wipe them out. However, the officials of Huguang still consider themselves as Ming officials. If we send troops to wipe them out at this time, it may cause everyone in Huguang to feel insecure."

"If those military officials in Huguang surrender to the Qing invaders in panic, I'm afraid Huguang will be in chaos in an instant."

Chen Zizhuang frowned when he heard this and said

"But it is also true that Huguang is out of order. Huguang is such a large province, but in recent years, not a penny of tax has been sent to the court. The soldiers of Huguang also act on their own and do not obey orders. If the court is just an empty name, then what is the use of Huguang?"

He Wuzhuo looked at Chen Zizhuang, but his expression remained unchanged. He spoke directly
"What Elder Chen said is true. Huguang must be taken back by the imperial court, but there is no need to use such violent means."

"After all, He Tengjiao is a scholar of decent family background. Unlike those military leaders, if we give him more advice and make him face the reality, he should be able to understand the greater good."

"Besides, don't you think that His Highness is too indulgent towards the military officials in the court? The court's two great victories are certainly gratifying, but His Highness is becoming more and more dependent on the military officials."

"I heard that Your Highness has handed over all the military power of Fujian Province to Li Mingzhong this time. Zhang Ken, the governor of Fujian Province, has no power to mobilize troops. Your Highness is now relying solely on military officials and soldiers. If this continues, it may not be a blessing for the country."

Lü Daqi and Chen Zizhuang frowned when they heard this. His Highness's preference for military officials had already alerted the ministers in the court.

The court should rule the world with the literati, not with the military officials. However, since His Royal Highness the Regent ascended the throne, he has almost always asked the military officials to be present for consultation on important matters.
Moreover, under His Highness's deliberate favoritism, even the cabinet could hardly influence the imperial guards at this time, which made Lu Daqi and other civil officials more vigilant.

Why was the decision to dismiss all officials from Chaozhou and Huizhou passed? It was because the military officers in the court stood firmly on the side of His Highness.

If it were during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, the civil officials in the court would never allow such a thing to happen.

He Wuzuo glanced at the two people beside him who were frowning, and then spoke again

"Now that Fujian Province has won a great victory and the court has been stabilized, it is time to restore the court system and let the civil and military officials return to their positions. Only in this way can the upper and lower levels work together."

"If Your Highness were to lead the army to conquer Huguang at this time, once those military officials made contributions, the military officials in the court would probably become more powerful and difficult to control."

"The events of Emperor Wuzong are a lesson for us. It is not good for military officials to participate in politics. The world will eventually need scholars like us to assist Your Highness in governing. Do you agree with me, the two elders?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Daqi and Chen Zizhuang also nodded slightly, understanding what He Wuzuo meant.

Previously, the court was unstable, and it was fine for His Highness to rely on military officials. Now that the court has won a great victory and has established a firm foothold in the south, it is time to restore the old system and let the cabinet of scholars govern the country. Military officials should no longer be allowed to interfere too much in the decision-making of the court.

On this point, whether it is Qu Shisi, Lu Daqi, Chen Zizhuang or He Wuzuo, their attitudes are consistent. Military officials are greedy for merit and short-sighted, and they must not be allowed to participate in government affairs.

Only civil officials can govern the country well. It took our ancestors nearly a hundred years to completely subdue the military officials. How can we allow these military officials to continue to cause chaos in the government?

The reason why the military officials in the court can now attend the court to discuss matters is because His Highness the Regent favors them. If this is the case, His Highness must not be allowed to get involved with those military officials.

The three of them discussed in a low voice for a few words, and then decided to persuade His Royal Highness the Regent to give up the expedition.
As for Su Guansheng, the three of them all tacitly ignored him. Su Guansheng was a confidant promoted by His Highness the Regent. Such a flatterer only knew how to obey His Highness' wishes, and had no idea about civil and military justice.

Lu Daqi and the other two reached a consensus and then walked towards Jiao Lian and the others on the opposite side.
Jiao Lian, Ma Bao, and Zheng Hongkui were originally discussing the expedition in a low voice. When they saw Lu Daqi and the other two approaching, they stopped talking and everyone in the room immediately looked at Lu Daqi and the others.
He Wuzuo looked at Jiao Lian in front of him, his eyes turned, and he spoke

"The court's entry into Fujian this time is all thanks to the bravery and dedication of all the generals. Thank you for your hard work."

"I dare not. We are just following in your footsteps. It is all thanks to your good command that we have achieved this great victory. We dare not take credit for it."

Jiao Lian and Ma Bao looked at each other, and for a moment they couldn't figure out the purpose of Lu Daqi and the other two, so they just replied softly.

"Duke Xuan is too modest. We came here this time because we have something to discuss with Duke Xuan and the two generals."

"I'm sure Duke Xuan knows that His Royal Highness the Regent wants to personally lead an expedition to the southwest. I have discussed this with Elder Lu and Elder Chen, but I feel that this is inappropriate."

"Although this expedition to Fujian was a great victory, the army also exhausted the food reserves of Guangdong Province. Now, Your Highness has only been back to Guangdong for a few days, and you want to raise an army again."

"Huguang is still Ming territory after all. Even if we want to pacify Huguang, there is no need to rush. The people of Guangdong Province are now extremely exhausted and need to recuperate. For the sake of the people of Guangdong Province, are the generals willing to join us in making a petition to ask His Highness to temporarily suspend the war?" He Wuzuo's eyes flashed slightly. The people His Highness the Regent trusted the most were Jiao Lian and Ma Bao. Whenever there was a war in the court, His Highness would first consult these military officials. If Jiao Lian and others also made a petition to persuade them, then His Highness would most likely change his mind about going on a personal expedition.
Ma Bao was shocked when he heard this, but he had never thought that He Wuzuo and other ministers would want to stop His Highness from leading the army.

When Ma Bao learned that His Highness was going to go to Huguang, he was not afraid at all, but was eager to try.
The Ming army had just won a great victory over the Qing invaders, and even the Tartars were defeated by them, so they naturally didn't care about the old Ming army in Huguang.

As a military official, Ma Bao could only be promoted and rewarded by fighting. He was unwilling to dissuade His Highness from going to war. However, when several cabinet elders expressed their opinions, he hesitated and did not know how to respond.

Ma Bao looked hesitant, but Jiao Lian did not hesitate at all.
Jiao Lian had a calm expression on his face. He just glanced at the three ministers in front of him and said

"Your Highness must have considered whether Guangdong Province can support this expedition. I am the commander-in-chief of the Longxiang Army, but I know to obey the orders of Your Highness and the court."

"If Your Highness allows me to go to war, I will lead the army to war. As for the rest, I have no right to speak rashly."

Ma Bao was stunned when he heard this, but then his mind suddenly became clear. The reason why he hesitated before was because he was intimidated by the status of the three cabinet elders, He Wuzuo and others. Even though he was a former Shun army thief, he also knew the authority of the cabinet elders.
But after Jiao Lian's reminder, Ma Bao finally realized that he was a general appointed by His Highness, and his life was given by His Highness. If he did not obey His Highness's orders at this time, but followed these civil officials to persuade His Highness, wouldn't that be courting death?
Ma Bao thought of this and said without hesitation.

"Duke Xuan's words make sense. All of us soldiers will obey your Highness' orders. Whether or not we should march to the southwest will be decided by your Highness."

He Wuzuo and the other two looked gloomy when they heard this. When they first met Jiao Lian, they thought that he was a military man and should know the rules of propriety. They never thought that he was such a greedy and perverse person.
Although Jiao Lian only obeyed the orders of His Highness and the court, he was actually refusing to be advised to go to war.

If it were during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, which military official would dare to speak to them like this? These military officials were too domineering, relying on His Highness's favoritism.

He Wuzuo was about to persuade them again, but at this moment, a whip sounded outside the room. Jiao Lian heard the whip sound, nodded slightly to He Wuzuo and the others, and then walked straight out of the room.
Zheng Hongkui glanced at He Wuzuo and the others who looked unhappy, but his eyes seemed to be thinking about something. Then he and Ma Bao followed Jiao Lian and walked out the door.
When He Wuzuo and the other two saw Jiao Lian and the other military officials leaving, they felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

The three of them were silent for a moment, and finally they had no choice but to walk out of the room, and the remaining civil officials followed them out.
In the hall, Zhu Lang sat at the top, and the civil and military officials stood at the bottom.
Zhu Lang naturally did not know that the civil officials in the court were preparing to stop him from going on a personal expedition, and had decided to suppress the power of the military officials together. Even if he knew, Zhu Lang would not care.
The power of the cabinet to control the government and control the military is not an unchangeable ancestral system.
The cabinet of ministers was initially just a group of secretaries of the fifth rank. It was only when the emperor authorized the cabinet that the cabinet gradually gained power over the civil and military officials.

Since the power of the cabinet comes from the emperor, the emperor can naturally take it back.

The reason why the cabinet seemed so strong after the Three Yangs came to power was that the new emperors lacked prestige after they took the throne. Forcibly dismantling the cabinet would cause chaos in the court, which would not be worth the loss. This is why the cabinet's authority has been maintained.
But now the situation has completely changed. After Jiashen, the central government of the imperial court had already been broken up. Previously, dismantling the cabinet would cause chaos in the world, but now the world is already in chaos, so what is there to worry about?
The loss of the cabinet's authority did not begin now. The moment Chongzhen hanged himself, the so-called cabinet's authority had already collapsed along with Chongzhen's death.
Today, the three provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian are all controlled by Zhu Lang's troops.
After the two victories in the Guangdong-Fujian war, Zhu Lang had the power of the army and prestige. No one in the court could stop Zhu Lang from doing what he wanted.

If the current cabinet officials want to maintain the prosperity of the cabinet in the past, the only possibility is to get Zhu Lang's support.
Only if Zhu Lang suppressed the military commanders and made them continue to obey the cabinet, could the civil officials in the court maintain their former respected status in the court.
But it is clear that Julang is not ready to let the cabinet dominate. Julang now needs a structure that allows him to be unconstrained and freely implement his will, and the cabinet obviously cannot do this.

Zhu Lang sat on the throne, glanced at the ministers below, and said

"What's the situation in Fujian Province? Have you sent any reports?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zizhuang, the Minister of War, stepped out of the line and saluted, then spoke:

"The day before yesterday, Fujian Governor Zhang Kentang and Admiral Li Mingzhong reported that the deployment of troops from the four prefectures in southern Zhejiang has been finalized and all troops have entered their respective cities."

"According to the spy post in central Fujian, the Qing government has sent reinforcements to Jiangnan. The Qing government has appointed Beile Lekedehun as the General of Zhennan and the pseudo-Xushun Gong Shen Zhixiang as the Governor of Zhejiang Province. The Qing army has stationed troops in Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Ningxia."

"According to reports, a small number of Qing cavalry approached the two cities of Quzhou and Wenzhou for reconnaissance, but they were all driven away by our Ming cavalry. The Qing army did not gather in Zhejiang Province in large numbers."

"According to the news from Nanjing, Kong Youde and other pseudo-Three Kings troops have set out from Nanjing, with at least 10,000 people, and are heading up the Yangtze River. According to the spy post, their target should be Huguang."

Zhu Lang nodded slightly upon hearing this. The Qing court's reaction was basically the same as the Ming court's expectations. The Ming army occupied the four prefectures in southern Zhejiang and stopped advancing.
The Qing court obviously did not want to lead its army to fight a decisive battle with the Ming army in the mountains of southern Zhejiang. Instead, it implemented its previous strategy and continued to send troops to Huguang, hoping to completely eliminate the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

This is actually the approach that best suits the interests of the Qing court. Huguang has a flat terrain, which is conducive to the Qing cavalry's galloping, and its strategic value is far greater than that of a narrow and mountainous Fujian Province.
But this is also what Zhu Lang wanted. The Qing court wanted to solve the Huguang problem, and Zhu Lang also wanted to take the opportunity to solve the Huguang problem.
Zhu Lang saw that the situation in the Qing court had not deviated, so he stopped thinking about it and looked at Su Guansheng below.
Su Guansheng saw that His Royal Highness the Regent seemed to understand and was about to step out to report, but before he could open his mouth, someone else stepped out first.

The Imperial Censor Chen Zheng stepped out and saluted, then said in a loud voice:

"I heard that the Western bandit Zhang Xianzhong has surrendered in Sichuan. The Western bandits have been causing trouble in the Central Plains for more than ten years. Now they are fighting with the Qing invaders and both sides are suffering. This is really a great joy."

"The Shun bandits died the year before last, and now the Western bandits have been destroyed. Now the bandit atmosphere has suddenly disappeared. The bandits and robbers of the previous dynasty for decades have been eliminated one after another in your hands. It can be seen that your accession to the throne is really..."

Chen Zheng was about to continue praising his achievements, but Zhu Lang glanced at Su Guansheng below, who also raised his head at this moment.

Zhu Lang looked thoughtful and nodded slightly to Su Guansheng, indicating that he understood what Su Guansheng meant. However, Su Guansheng looked confused, but when he saw His Highness nod, he also nodded in response.
Zhu Lang's expression suddenly turned cold, and he suddenly shouted in a cold voice:
"How did you know that Zhang Xianzhong was defeated? Who told you the news?"

Chen Zheng heard the cold shout from above, and his heart trembled. He was a little at a loss, and subconsciously said

"I...I went to the Cabinet yesterday to deliver the official document of the Supervisory Office. I heard the good news from the duty room."

Zhu Lang's face darkened, and he looked directly at Lu Daqi and the other two below, and said in a cold voice

"Who was on duty yesterday? I only gave the intelligence of the three provinces to the cabinet and several military governors. This is how your cabinet is monitoring the intelligence in the palace."

When Lu Daqi and the other two saw His Highness the Regent suddenly get angry, they were also upset. Today they were planning to persuade His Highness not to lead the army in person, but now they had not even discussed the main business and had already angered His Highness.

(End of this chapter)